Filip Tomic
Show Bio
The biggest rivalry in NBA history gets another chapter on Christmas Day as the Boston Celtics and LA Lakers square off at Crypto.com Arena. Both teams are coming into Monday’s game following wins, so it promises to be an exciting game. Tip-off is on ABC at 5 pm ET and I’ve prepared a Same Game Parlay to spice things up a little.
For picks on the side and total for every single Christmas Day game, simply visit our NBA Predictions page.
Let’s dive into my SGP bet now!
BOS Celtics -2.5 Point Spread (-110)
Jayson Tatum to Score 30+ Points (+110)
LeBron James 2+ Made Threes (-170)
Same Game Parlay odds: +401
BOS Celtics -2.5 Point Spread (-110)
The Cs are 2-1 on their current West Coast road trip, they just beat the Clippers on Saturday night, putting up 145 points in a 37-point blowout victory. It was their 2nd consecutive blowout following the 144-119 win over Sacramento on Thursday, this team is starting to click at just the right time for one of the biggest games of the season. Kristaps Porzingis did not play vs the Clippers, he will be a game-time decision here with a good chance of suiting up. Boston could definitely use him, he’s averaging 22.4 points per game in his last 5 vs the Lakers.
The Lakers are also coming into this one following a 129-120 victory over OKC, which ended a 4-game losing streak. LeBron James had 40 points, Anthony Davis stepped up with 26 and 11, while Rui Hachimura added 21 off the bench. Can the Lakers replicate that type of a performance in back-to-back games against one of the top teams in the NBA? I’m not sure if I’m ready to jump back on the bandwagon after just one victory following a poor run like they had prior to that. The Celtics have had the upper hand in head-to-head meetings winning 4 of 5, they’ve also covered the spread in 6 of the last 9 vs LA and 5 of 6 overall.
Read my Boston Celtics vs LA Lakers Predictions
Jayson Tatum to Score 30+ Points (+110)
Since the beginning of 2020, Jayson Tatum has taken games against the Lakers very seriously, he’s averaging 32.1 points per game in the last 8 meetings. He’s failed to clear this line only twice during that stretch, with a couple of 40+ point performances in there as well. In fact, the last time Boston played LA at Crypto.com Arena, Tatum finished with 44 points and 9 rebounds. He just dropped 30 on the Clippers in just 30 minutes played on 9-for-16 shooting from the field, you just know he will want to show up big time on Christmas Day for his team. Tatum actually averages more points per game on the road than at home this season, that’s a good sign when you’re playing a historic rival like the Lakers in their own gym. Boston isn’t coming out on top without a monster performance by Tatum here, I’m confident he will deliver.
LeBron James 2+ Made Threes (-170)
LeBron is just one week shy of turning 39 years old and yet opposing defenses cannot seem to figure out a way to contain him. The 40-point performance on Saturday vs the Thunder showed us that he is still capable of hurting teams in a variety of ways, but this season it feels like James has been settling a lot more for the three-ball instead of attacking the basket. That’s understandable considering the age and mileage on his body, after all LeBron’s goal is to stay healthy come playoff time and the best way to achieve that is to avoid contact whenever possible. He went 5-for-5 from three-point land in OKC, over his last 10 games he’s shooting the deep ball at 40% efficiency. He’s also cleared this line 4 times in his last 5 outings and in 6 of 9 games played in December. In the last 10 games vs Boston he’s averaging 28.5 points and shooting 38.3% from three, clearing this line 8 times. Let’s also not forget James is the all-time points per game leader on Christmas Day and with his career coming to an end (supposedly) he won’t have many opportunities to add to that record. Count on him to deliver vs the Celtics.
